scoter
Dark diving duck
A scoter is a stocky sea duck found in northern coastal waters, typically dark-plumaged with distinctive bill markings.
Three species inhabit North America and Europe: the black scoter, surf scoter, and white-winged scoter.
They dive for mollusks and crustaceans in rough surf where other ducks rarely venture.
Coastal diving waterfowl
- diving duckWaterfowl that submerges for food
- waterfowlSwimming birds collectively
- drakeMale waterfowl
- henFemale fowl
juvenile · subspecies · identification · birding · ornithology · taxonomy
Bird's dark outer covering
- darkAbsence of light
- melanisticHaving surplus dark pigment
- velvetThick-pile textile
- iridescentShowing shifting spectral colors
Soft-bodied invertebrate, often shelled
- musselEdible two-shelled mollusk
- clamSand-dwelling hinged shellfish
- crustaceanAquatic arthropod with exoskeleton
- submergePlunge beneath liquid
Of the shoreline
- marineRelating to the sea
- nearshoreClose to the coastline
- rocky coastlineStone-edged meeting of land and sea
- bayPartially enclosed water
inlet · estuary · kelp bed · wintering grounds · open ocean · Arctic · subarctic · Pacific coast
Established bird migration path
- winteringPassing the cold season
- breeding groundsSites where species reproduce
- staging areaIntermediate gathering location
- long-distanceAcross great distances
seaduck
Coastal diving waterfowl
- diving duckWaterfowl that submerges for food
- waterfowlSwimming birds collectively
- drakeMale waterfowl
hen · juvenile · subspecies · identification · birding · ornithology · taxonomy
black plumage
Bird's dark outer covering
- darkAbsence of light
- melanisticHaving surplus dark pigment
- velvetThick-pile textile
mollusk
Soft-bodied invertebrate, often shelled
- musselEdible two-shelled mollusk
- clamSand-dwelling hinged shellfish
- crustaceanAquatic arthropod with exoskeleton
coastal
Of the shoreline
- marineRelating to the sea
- nearshoreClose to the coastline
- rocky coastlineStone-edged meeting of land and sea
bay · inlet · estuary · kelp bed · wintering grounds · open ocean · Arctic · subarctic · Pacific coast · Atlantic coast
flyway
Established bird migration path
- winteringPassing the cold season
- breeding groundsSites where species reproduce
- staging areaIntermediate gathering location
long-distance · overwintering · southward · northward · stopover